1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a composite media file broadcasting program broadcasting control system. More particularly, the invention relates to a broadcasting control system of a composite media file broadcasting program having an interactive function in a digital broadcasting.
2. Description of the Related Art
A video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system in television and radio is generally constructed with an organizing unit managing a program frame of each program to be broadcasted in one channel and a time frame for commercial message in the program frame, a producing unit producing a broadcasting contents and a broadcasting unit performing broadcasting of broadcasting data along designated broadcasting schedule information.
Such video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system is controlled by a broadcasting schedule information map called as a play list. Here, a broadcasting schedule information map is a table describing information permitting the broadcasting unit to correctly broadcast the contents produced by the organizing unit or the production unit. More particularly, the broadcasting schedule information map is a table, in which a certain program frame is divided into smaller time frames and for each frame, a broadcasting start time, a broadcasting continuing period, and an attribute value of the broadcasting content to be broadcasted in the corresponding time frame. The play list describes a broadcasting start time, a broadcasting continuing period, kind of the contents to be broadcasting in the time frame, i.e. broadcasting program or commercial message, and address information of video content and audio content to be broadcasted in the corresponding time frame, which play list is prepared by the organizing unit. The producing unit sets the video content and the audio content to be broadcasted in the address designated in the play list. The broadcasting unit obtains the content in the designated address on the basis of the play list from the producing unit to perform broadcasting preparatory process for processing into a broadcasting data in a form capable of broadcasting for broadcasting prepared broadcasting data at designated broadcasting start time.
Among the broadcasting programs, it is expected to modify the broadcasting schedule, such as extension or early termination of game, such as sport relay program. The broadcasting program broadcasting control system has to be instantly responsive to such change to perform control for performing broadcasting with modified broadcasting schedule. In case of expected modification of the broadcasting schedule information, the broadcasting schedule is modified by modifying the play list to transfer the modified schedule to the broadcasting unit.
A multi-channel broadcasting system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Heisei 10-285505 (which will be referred to hereinafter as “first prior art”) is a system characterized by adaptation for abrupt change of the broadcasting contents. In the disclosed system, a basic play list and a modified play list are prepared so that, when the broadcasting contents are modified, a part of the basic play list is replaced with the modified play list adapting to the broadcasting contents. At this time, since the broadcasting unit preliminarily obtain contents designated in both play lists for preparation of broadcasting, broadcasting corresponding to abrupt modification process can be realized.
The foregoing is related to the video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system broadcasting a stream media, such as video, audio and so forth.
In the digital broadcasting, there are some broadcasting programs which broadcasts non-stream media data, such as composite media file and so forth. The composite media file broadcasting program is called as data broadcasting program. There are two kinds of broadcasting. One is the broadcasting program, in which the composite media file is solely broadcasted. The other is the broadcasting program, in which the composite media file is broadcasted as additional information cooperative with video program (stream media program) for presenting both of video program and the composite media file simultaneously.
One of broadcasting method of the composite media file is DSM-CC(Digital Storage Media Command Control) data carousel system defined in ISO (International Standardization Organization)/IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 13818-6. In this system, respective files forming the composite media file is repeatedly broadcasted so that the broadcasted composite media file can be obtained by starting viewing the program at any timing. The broadcasted data to be broadcasted in this system is consisted of data of constituent files of the composite media file (DDB: Download Data Block), and broadcasting control data, such as each file name, file sizes, file types, version number of files incremented at every occasion of updating.
The present invention is applicable for the composite media file broadcasting program broadcasting system employing the DSM-CC data carousel system. The composite media file broadcasting program broadcasting file basically has similar structure as the video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system. Namely, broadcasting of the program is performed by the organizing unit, the producing unit and the broadcasting unit.
The broadcasting schedule information map controlling the video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system is only the play list prepared by the organizing unit.
The composite media file broadcasting program broadcasting system is also controlled according to a broadcasting schedule information map (which will be referred to as organized schedule information map for discriminating from the play list). However, in addition to this, it has to be controlled even by the broadcasting schedule information map prepared by the producing unit. The reason is that since the composite media file is static different from the stream media, if the display content of the data broadcasting program is desired to vary according to elapse of time within the time frame, the broadcasting data has to be varied at every occasion of varying display content and the broadcasting schedule information map for this purpose is present. Variation is divided into two stages. Namely, modification to change overall composite media file in the time frame of the organized schedule information and modification by updating content of each file forming the composite media file are present. The producing unit prepares both broadcasting schedule information maps respectively adapting to the foregoing two stages of modifications in addition to the composite media file to be object for broadcasting. The former broadcasting schedule information map will be hereinafter referred to as “composite media file modified schedule information map” and the later broadcasting schedule information map will be hereinafter referred to as “file updating schedule information map”.
Namely, the broadcasting schedule information map of one composite media file broadcasting program is consisted of the organized schedule information map as the broadcasting schedule information map per time frame prepared by the organizing unit, the composite media file modified schedule information map prepared by the producing unit, the file updating schedule information map for each constituent files of the composite media file.
The broadcasting unit of the composite media file broadcasting program combines the organized schedule information map prepared by the organizing unit, the composite media file modified schedule information map prepared by the producing unit and the file updating schedule information map for each constituent files of the composite media file for deriving the minimum time frame in which modification of the broadcasted data is performed, obtaining aggregate of the file forming the composite media file to be broadcasted per time frame to prepare the broadcasting data from the aggregate of the file (broadcasting preparatory process). Then, at the broadcasting start time of each time frame, the prepared broadcasting data is broadcasted.
The aggregate of the constituent files of the composite media file, for which broadcasting is initiated at a certain timing, is obtained by combining file updating schedule information map of all constituent files of the composite media file. For example, for the composite media file consisted of constituent files A and B, when the content of the file A is updated to a-a′ and -a″ at a time 7:00-7:10-7:20, and the content of the file B is updated to b-b′ at a time 7:00-7:05, the aggregate of the file to be broadcasted at respective broadcasting start timings are as follows:
start broadcasting at 7:00:a and bstart broadcasting at 7:05:a and b′start broadcasting at 7:10:a′ and b′start broadcasting at 7:20:a″ and b′The foregoing is the case where the broadcasting start timings of the file updating schedule information map is filed.
In case of the composite media file broadcasting program associated with live video program, there is a program broadcasting mode wherein while the contents to be broadcasted is preliminarily determined, the broadcasting start timing is determined during broadcasting of the program as the broadcasting timing of the composite media file has to be synchronized with the broadcasted video image, which will be hereinafter referred to as untime broadcasting. For example, relay broadcasting of sporting game, such as baseball, a staff of a broadcasting station instructs starting of broadcasting of “Homerun Special Data Quiz Program” at a timing of homerun in the baseball. This is the untime broadcasting.
The untime broadcasting is transferred to the broadcasting unit with including the broadcasting schedule information having undetermined broadcasting start timing (untime broadcasting schedule information) in the broadcasting schedule information map prepared by the organizing unit and the producing unit. The broadcasting unit performs broadcasting process at the broadcasting start timing of untime broadcasting input from a trigger input device.
Even in the conventional video and audio broadcasting program broadcasting system, it has been adapted for untime broadcasting by untime broadcasting of commercial message (CM) or the like in radio program or modification of the broadcasting data by switch at a timing designated in the modification schedule information map as discussed in the first prior art. At this time, the play list for modification is present and information of the video contents and audio contents of the untime broadcasting is described. Therefore, broadcasting preparatory process is preliminarily performed in the broadcasting unit, the broadcasting data can be performed instantly responding to the designation of the broadcasting start timing.
If the broadcasting preparatory process cannot be performed before broadcasting of the program in the broadcasting unit, the broadcasting preparatory process is performed upon determination of the broadcasting start timing of the untime broadcasting. For process period, it is possible to cause incapability of broadcasting at the designated broadcasting start timing.
Upon performing broadcasting preparatory process in the composite media file broadcasting program, the aggregate of the constituent files forming the composite media file to be initiated broadcasting at a certain timing has to be obtained.
In order to obtain the aggregate of the files, context of the updating timing of respective files are required. For example, concerning the composite media file consisted of the files A and B, consideration is given for the file updating schedule where the content of the file A is updated to a-a′-a″ at respective time of 7:00-7:10-7:20, and the content of the file B is updated to b-b′ at certain timing. The timing at which b is updated to b′ is untime broadcasting and is determined during broadcasting of the program. If the time is 7:05, the aggregate of the files to be broadcasted is as follows:
start broadcasting at 7:00:a and bstart broadcasting at 7:05:a and b′start broadcasting at 7:10:a′ and b′start broadcasting at 7:20:a″ and b′
When the timing to update b to b′ is 7:15, the aggregate of the files to be broadcasting is as follows:
start broadcasting at 7:00:a and bstart broadcasting at 7:10:a′ and bstart broadcasting at 7:15:a′ and b′start broadcasting at 7:20:a″ and b′
At this time, the aggregate of the files to be broadcasting at the updating timing of b to b′ is a′ and b′ and is different from a and b′ in the former case. Namely, depending upon context of the broadcasting start timing of the untime broadcasting and the broadcasting start timing of the updating schedule of A, the aggregate of the files to be broadcasted at the broadcasting start timing of the untime broadcasting can be differentiated.
Accordingly, in order to perform the broadcasting preparatory process of the program, in which untime broadcasting is performed, in the broadcasting unit, the context of the broadcasting start timings of the file updating schedule information of respective files forming the composite media file has to be definitely determined.
Accordingly, in order to realize broadcasting preparatory process of the untime broadcasting, some measure in expression method of the broadcasting start timing in the broadcasting schedule information map has to be taken.
The broadcasting program is often subject to reusing. In addition to rebroadcasting, the image of CM is used repeatedly, and also, the part of the broadcasted program may be reused at introduction or ending of the series program.
Reusing of the conventional video and audio broadcasting program can be easily realized by diversion of the video content and the audio content without any process. When the program is reused together with CM, reusing can be realized by rewriting the broadcasting start time in the play list.
In case of reusing of the composite media file broadcasting program, not only the composite media file per se but also the file updating schedule information are inherently required, and may further required the composite media file modification schedule information. The broadcasting schedule information map is reused, modification of all broadcasting start timings becomes necessary. In the composite media file broadcasting program, a plurality of broadcasting schedule information maps established in hierarchy and respective broadcasting start timings are associated with each other, it has been desired to have an approach for modification of the broadcasting start timings without causing contradiction.
According to one aspect of the invention, a broadcasting unit is provided that attains an aggregate of constituent files of a composite media file per time identifier and that performs broadcasting preparatory process from a condition where fixed broadcasting start timing is not obtained by using order information of the time identifier and hierarchically presenting plurality of data broadcasting schedule information maps. Namely, even with the broadcasting schedule information map, in which the untime broadcasting schedule information of undetermined broadcasting start timing is present in admixing manner. broadcasting preparatory process can be performed as long as the order of the broadcasting start timing is fixed. Therefore, broadcasting can be performed instantly in response to determination of the broadcasting start timing.